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Epicurious

Charred Beef Burgers with Baba Ghanoush

The Big Mac is a great burger—juicy, delicious, and an icon of American culture. So how do I re-create the grandeur of the Big Mac while stripping away a lot of the fat and calories that go with it? First replace the bun with a nutrient-rich, high-fiber sprouted-grain hamburger bun. My “special sauce” is made with charred eggplant and low-fat yogurt, and the beef is extra-lean. A little low-fat Russian dressing, which I consider to be my special sauce, gives it some zest—and all the rest is healthy on its own. (No cheese needed.)

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
2 tablespoons 5% Greek yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole-Grain Flourless Burger Buns
Nonfat cooking spray
12 ounces 90% lean ground beef, formed into 4 patties
1/2 cup “Russian Island” Dressing (page 203) or store-bought reduced-fat Russian dressing
4 slices heirloom tomato
4 slices red onion
4 leaves romaine lettuce, broken in half

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Char the eggplant over an open flame, rotating it often to cook evenly, about 20 minutes. The skin should be completely blackened and the flesh should be cooked through. Place the eggplant in a bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap (to steam off the skin), and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Then remove the charred skin with a paper towel, leaving the flesh behind. Chop the eggplant with a knife until it is a thick and chunky puree. Mix the eggplant and the yogurt together in a bowl, and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

    Step 2

    Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat.

    Step 3

    Split the buns in half, and spray the split surfaces lightly with cooking spray. Season the burger patties with salt and pepper to taste. Place the buns, cut sides down, and the burgers on the grill. Allow the buns to char slightly, and then transfer them to a platter. Cook the burgers for about 2 1/2 minutes per side for rare.

    Step 4

    To assemble the burgers, spread the bottom buns with some of the eggplant mixture. Place the burgers on top, and then top each burger with some of the Russian dressing. Pile the tomato, onion, and lettuce on the burgers, and set the bun tops in place. Serve.

  2. nutrition information

    Step 5

    Fat: 29g (before), 7.4g (after)

    Step 6

    Calories: 540 (before), 341 (after)

    Step 7

    Protein: 30g

    Step 8

    Carbohydrates: 38g

    Step 9

    Cholesterol: 56mg

    Step 10

    Fiber: 7g

    Step 11

    Sodium: 773mg

Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.
TagsBurgerGround BeefBeefMeatYogurtDairyHeirloom TomatoTomatoVegetableEggplantMainDinnerNut FreeWeeknight MealsGrillingCookbooks
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